Using my Ipad I found a great
application called Edmodo. It is a
system somewhat similar to Angel or Blackboard where students and teachers can
connect. The benefit of Edmodo verse
some of the other social learning platforms such as Angel, is that it is much
more interactive and user friendly. It
is a great tool for teachers to really be able to connect to their students
even when they aren’t in their classroom.
As
a teacher the thing that really stands out about Edmodo is that it is a
somewhat similar layout as Facebook. The
great thing about this is that most students are familiar with Facebook and so
they will already have some concept of how Edmodo works. The other great thing about this is it allows
you as a teacher to have interactive conversations through posts with the
entire classroom. Using student’s prior
knowledge of Facebook they will easily be able to use Edmodo’s many similar
features such as the tag option, notifications, and posts.
Another
great thing about Edmodo is the amount of support available for teachers. You are able to view videos of what other
teachers have done with Edmodo, and watch webinars on how they did it. This is a create tool to use are you are
first starting out with the application.
Another great feature is you are able to
connect with other teachers through different communities. As a teacher this is such a great way to be
connected with other professionals and to talk to other teachers about what is
working in their classroom.
There is also the
option for parents to join in. Although they
are not able to create posts, they are able to view everything else. This is a great way to stay connected with the
parents and to show them exactly what their student is learning and how. Since there is a place for assignments and
grades it can also help parents to keep on top of how their student is
progressing and what assignments are due.
Edmodo is a great
resource for teachers. It is a great way
to use student’s technology knowledge to get them interested and invested in
your class. I will definitely use Edmodo
in my classroom!
